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In this review it is argued that traditional attempts to classify the parent-adolescent relationship as either harmonious or discordant are misdirected. Relations between parents and adolescents vary in conflict. Although most parents and adolescents report that they rarely argue, in a minority of families conflict and discord are common. A review of the literature reveals that parent-adolescent conflict varies as a function of family social context, family structure, characteristics of parents and adolescents, and, most importantly, style of parent-adolescent interaction. From a behaviorial perspective the important components of interaction style are communication/problem-solving skills, the techniques parents use to manage their adolescents, and the exchange of positive and negative behaviors.

Self-concept development from childhood to adolescence was studied from a cognitive-structural perspective. The responses of subjects to the question "Who am I?" were analyzed by means of a 30-category scoring system. Between childhood and adolescence, there was a significant increase in self-conceptions categorized as follows: occupational role; existential, individuating; ideological and belief references; the sense of self-determination; the sense of unity; interpersonal style; and psychic style. A decrease occurred for self-conceptions based on territoriality, citizenship; possessions, resources; and physical self, body image. Curvilinear age changes were found for the use of the categories sex; name; kinship role; membership in an abstract category; and judgments, tastes, likes. The results for self-concept development were in general agreement with Werner's notion that cognitive development proceeds from a concrete to an abstract mode of representation.

Reports of conflict between adolescents and their parents and siblings were obtained from tenth-graders through interviews conducted over the telephone. The highest levels of conflict were found for the mother adolescent and same-sex sibling relationship, while few conflicts were reported with fathers. Most arguments with parents and siblings were about interpersonal issues and a minority concerned rule enforcement. Withdrawal was the most common conflict resolution technique found with parents and siblings. The results of this study show that disagreements with parents and siblings are equally frequent, largely about the same issues, and resolved in similar ways. These findings cast doubt on the notion that quarrels with parents are really about independence, and support the view that they are simply instances of general interpersonal conflict, which occur whenever the actions of one person interfere with the actions of another.

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